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Selling the house and touring full time?

Old 08-23-19, 02:49 PM
  #26  
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Do you have a friend or relative that will accept your mail and let you use their address?
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Old 08-23-19, 03:18 PM
  #27  
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I have only recently discovered usps informed delivery service. It is free. I get an email every day with scanned images of my incoming mail. It could be useful for someone touring away from home when they receive mail that is best retrieved to safety by their relatives or friends.
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Old 08-23-19, 03:59 PM
  #28  
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Originally Posted by Bike Jedi
I know there is ways of doing it, but I am wondering how I can do it legally, so I don't lose my residency in Colorado, AND wouldn't have to lie on many applications that say, "have you live in the state for the past 12 months?" ...

I lived in Colorado for half my life at the age of 50 now. It's my home. It will always be my home. I want to always come back here and consider this home. But I would like to leave and see a lot of the world while not losing my status of this being my home. If something was to go terribly wrong, this is where I would want to come back to for health, recovery, or ride out whatever time I have left if I can't bike anymore.

How would I even vote if I don't have a legal residence?
Some of these questions are probably cases where it might be useful to get a more formal information than from an internet forum. However, I will make a few observations:
1. You aren't the first to have this type of issue. Look for "expat" and see what happens when people try to retire overseas, etc and how things work.
2. There is both State and Federal jurisdictions here. My guess is programs like Social Security might likely have Federal laws governing residency. State laws will govern other things like state taxes, community college access, etc. States can have different laws here.

Originally Posted by saddlesores
you'd best check colorado law. most likely, you remain a resident of colorado even if not physically present until you have residence (or intent) established elsewhere.

you can have absentee ballots mailed anywhere, but you need to check with the state registrar on requirements. texas now emails ballots and envelope pdf files - print 'em out and mail 'em in.

you can file tax returns from outside the state even if no tax due to show intent to return.

for health insurance, you need a policy with worldwide coverage including repatriation.

you need to get all your banking/financial accounts set up before you set off, usually no way to open us-based accounts from outside the us. need a us address......banks won't send credit cards outside the us. (one exception is navy federal, they accept foreign addresses and will post cards ex-usa)
Agree with this advice.

What I've done on my more extended trips wasn't quite as formal and in particular, I was still maintaining some residence/presence in the state. I was ideally looking for the opposite e.g. how can I *not* be a resident of CA so I don't have to pay state taxes ...

In 2001 when I went cycling outside the US for 12 months, I rented out my condo to a friend and commissioned her to forward important ground mail to my parents. I paid CA state taxes during that time and since I didn't have residence anywhere else I considered it my residence.

In 2007 when I went cycling outside the US for 10 months, I rented the bottom of my duplex with a management company and kept my stuff in the top otherwise unoccupied. I paid CO state taxes during that time and since I didn't have residence anywhere else I considered it my residence.

In 2016 when I went cycling outside the US for 18 months, I rented out my townhouse, put everything in storage. TX doesn't have state taxes, but I did vote in 2016 in a visit back to TX.

Originally Posted by PedalingWalrus
I have only recently discovered usps informed delivery service. It is free. I get an email every day with scanned images of my incoming mail. It could be useful for someone touring away from home when they receive mail that is best retrieved to safety by their relatives or friends.
I discovered informed delivery early this year and started using it. They do occasionally seem to miss some of the mail that appears in my mailbox. Here is what I've done in combination:

1. Change many of my accounts to "online access/statements" where I can. This way I can check on things from the road.
2. Take sensitive accounts like my bank or investments and change my home address to a trusted party (e.g. my parents). These are often also "online statement", but every once in a while they also sent paper mail e.g. tax forms. I like this type of stuff going to a trusted party rather than a mail scan service.
3. Take everything else and change my home address to be the mail drop service. They send me email notification when new ground mail is received and give me a change to scan it.
4. Tried to use USPS change my address forms to send to my maildrop account and change things over as much as I can if I missed any mail. You can do this for 6 months with another 6 month renewal.

-- One mistake I made this last time was mark my move as "permanent". This was a big problem because once the order expired (after 12 months), the USPS put a message into state where any mail sent to me at the old address was bounced back by automated machines at the sorting center. When I returned to my same address some but not all of my mail was getting bounced back to the sender. If it didn't use an automated system it was OK. Fortunately, some new accounts like utilities were kind enough to alert me they got bounced mail. Unfortunately, my local post office was not much help since they only knew how to deal with delivery issues on the local route and seemed to be clueless about the sorting center.
-- So I devised a sequence of experiments in mailing myself letters from various post office locations and using the maildrop as a return address. From this I was able to characterize what letters were getting bounced and which ones got through. I was also able to generate evidence I could take to the post office to demonstrate my mail wasn't being delivered. Once I had the hypothesis of the sorting center, I went searching for contacts since the USPS kept directing me to people at my local post office who couldn't help. I even filed an issue with my congressional representative. Eventually a combination of my letters to the postmaster and some semi-randomly chosen people who worked at the sorting center got someone to look at my evidence and they were able to fix the issue. However, all this took ~2 months during tax season when a bunch of my mail was getting bounced (since I had started changing it over from the maildrop). It was a big mess... (the site isn't live anymore but part of my efforts involved creating a website where I documented everything here is an archive - https://web.archive.org/web/201808292...eismymail.com/)

Last edited by mev; 08-23-19 at 04:02 PM.
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Old 08-23-19, 04:23 PM
  #29  
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Originally Posted by alan s
Do you have a friend or relative that will accept your mail and let you use their address?
That doesn't answer the legal question. Like I mentioned, I know how to do it and make it work. That's not the difficult part. How do you do it without ever lying?

That's a different story.

I can get a drivers license mailed to any friend, in any state, and claim residency instantly that way. But that doesn't make it legal to the point where I won't have to lie about anything. I don't want to have to lie about anything, for any reason. Call it a personal moral compass of sorts if you must. I know how to make things happen, how to get around red tape, how to cut corners, and even how to down right cheat, lie, and steal if I really had too.

The question was, how do you do it where it's completely legit and on the up and up so that you can still be true to yourself or your moral compass lets say? What if you were on a "no lying" streak in life, and had maintained it for a very long time. You don't want to break that record, and you can't cheat. It doesn't matter if nobody else gets it, it only matters to your own conscious that you don't ever want to be pigeon holed into anything where you have to lie, be dishonest, or be deceptive about anything at all. Call it the "give me liberty or give me death..." kind of thing.

If you had to live by that kind of code of ethics, then how would you proceed?

Because I see lots of advice that says how to do it, and how you can even do things, but I think a lot of the advice is not actually correct. Like you can send in absentee ballots, but you still need to be a registered voter of that district, and in order to be a registered voter in most districts from what I am aware of, you need to be physically present for some time during the past 12 months. Now, I know there are ways around that, and I know how to do it around Social Security also with virtual mailboxes, but I don't think that makes it legal without an address to tie it to. Even if you rent the house out, still get your mailed delivered there, whatever...technically, you don't legally live there, and therefor you would have to lie and violate your moral compass.

Most of the advice given sounds like how you fly under the radar, but not actually the correct answers based on many of the things I have seen, read, or had to fill out on applications for in state things. It has actually come up enough, and I have done enough volunteer work with folks that don't have I.D's, that I know how much of a really big deal it can be unless you cut corners and fly under the radar on some things, even if you are not trying to purposely commit fraud or do anything wrong.

None of this still tells me how I can "honestly" say, "yes, I have been in the state in the last 12 months to continue my residency..." which you have to sign forms stating you are aware of this. So theoretically, if I signed something like that and was on a 13+ month tour of any kind, technically, and legally, I would by lying if I said, "Yes," and I had not been in the state in the past 12 months taking up residency. And I know someone said earlier as long as you haven't "declared residency" somewhere else...but that is not what it says on any of the things I have read, had to sign coming back into the state, renewing driver's license, etc... If I end up homeless and wander throughout the country for 20 years, and the last place I had legal residence was in Colorado, but have not spent one single day in Colorado, but was technically homeless the entire time, are you stating that technically I would still be considered a legal Colorado resident as long as I haven't attempted to claim residency somewhere else? Because that simply is not true.

At the same token, I am not trying to play sheriff or tell others how they should live at all. I also don't want to break the chain of advice that others may be seeking and comfortable with, and maybe I would even be comfortable with some things if I knew true motives were OK. But I am still curious how "I" can do it, without ever having to lie, cut a corner, or worry about that lie being exposed or a threat in any way. I would have to evaluate the risks long term, but I would still like to know how it can be done, if it can even be done at all. Because it sounds like if someone wants to go on a longer term tour for a while like myself, and never lie about it, it may be more difficult than what is real and true. If that is the case, then I would like to figure that out now also so I can assess the risk, deal with it properly, and be done with worrying about it with whatever choice I end up making. Is the consequence of me losing my social security over it worth it long term and I won't be able to survive by losing residency, then it's not worth the risk, and I can stay in one state as long as I need at a time with shorter trips out. If it's just a matter of losing some Colorado benefits long term, or even voting which I never do anyway, then I could care less.

But for me personally, I have to always have my insurance tied to a region, so establishing residency for that type of reason there might not be a work around. If there are no real long term consequences or problems for a white lie in that spot, I would be comfortable with it. If I was seriously hurt somewhere, and I had been living in other parts of the world and the insurance won't cover me because I had been lying about my residency, and was pigeon holed to lie later, then it is not worth the risk.

If I it was in another 10 or 20 years from now, when I am closer to the end of my life, losing my insurance with no wealth under me, it might not be such a big deal and a risk maybe someone is willing to take more than I would be at a younger age.

So there are always gray areas to consider depending on context and what one considers "justifiable" or what some people are comfortable with when it comes to lying at all.

It's extremely difficult to maintain a life of honesty and have relationships, community, and communicate with other people effectively because most people don't value or see honesty the same. It's subjective and relative to all of us in one way or another, except to truth itself.

Last edited by Bike Jedi; 08-23-19 at 04:46 PM.
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Old 08-23-19, 05:27 PM
  #30  
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Originally Posted by indyfabz
Maybe you are thinking of that woman named Nancy and her family. She used to post here.
Nancy rarely toured with the her family, she was always in Utah or doing media interviews in the United States or fundraising. People noticed she didn't have any tan marks at all from cycling.

Your asking this in a forum that is very likely to agree with you. Personally, ask this in some parenting or other forums and get more honest of answers.
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Old 08-23-19, 05:50 PM
  #31  
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Originally Posted by Bike Jedi
That doesn't answer the legal question... snip
Good gravy.

Wanna know how to maintain a drivers license or residency while absent without lying? Email the DMV or electoral officials for your state college and ask. Live or don't live by their answer. Done.
Sorry I couldn't write a long drawn out virtue signalling response that suggested everyone was less moral than me but it wasn't required to answer the simplest of questions.


As to the OP:

I don't have an opinion either way as to whether its a good idea to sell and tour with kids. I have a feeling for myself but also realize others may differ and still be perfectly fine parents. Having said that, a couple of thoughts.

It may be worth considering a bail out plan in case something goes wrong on the ride. You or one of the kids may become ill in a way that does not allow continuing or maybe there is a real disconnect between the vision vs reality. Maybe renting out the house for a bit before committing to selling would provide some income yet keep the option open until you know for sure how it will develop.

A friend retired early and sold everything as you suggest. He planned to travel extensively through SE Asia and return once in a while between trips, hoping to couch surf with friends and family (he had kids and grandkids). Turned out after the initial enjoyment wore off he missed family ties and now spends a more even mix of travel home time with an apartment.

A life on the road sounds exciting but it can also be very lonely if you are constantly moving and letting go of relationships. I don't know if that is an admirable goal or not unless one is particularly good at maintaining relationships in alternate forms. Part of life is adventure but part is also community. Consider this from the kids perspective too. Yes they will benefit from exposure through travel but they also will benefit from closeness of community. I think it may be possible to create that on the road but one would need to be skillful.

An interesting documentary that shows how a plan can change is Expedition Happiness. The young couple wanted to travel in their bus but found the feeling about that changed when their dog (relationship) fared badly.While the trailer below makes travel seem "amazing" in reality they only last a certain time on the road before returning to a convenient home base in Germany.

Or it is a good idea. Just be aware that feelings change and with kids a little more consideration may be needed (as I'm sure you know)


Last edited by Happy Feet; 08-23-19 at 06:19 PM.
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Old 08-23-19, 05:57 PM
  #32  
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You live where you say you live. It’s just your mailing address. If your relative or friend agrees to let you “live” there, then you live there. Nothing more to it. You don’t have to prove you live somewhere by documenting your physical presence there.
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Old 08-23-19, 06:22 PM
  #33  
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Before I was married I traveled all over the place. My home address was always my parents place. Mail, income tax, elections... In the grand scheme of constant movement that was pretty truthful.
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Old 08-23-19, 07:15 PM
  #34  
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One suggestion google "rv state residency" you will find accounts/advice of how a different group of nomadic individuals handle the similar residency issue...
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Old 08-23-19, 10:43 PM
  #35  
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I am in the same boat as you, I want to go, sell up, and bring my wife along, but she doesn't want to do it. Our daughter has way passed flown the coop, we own our home, and we are retired. What I can't handle is constantly putting our hands in our pockets to maintain the house and pay local council rates of $3000 a year rising electricity prices and water costs. (In OZ). I see it as constantly swallowing money, just to live here. That money would go a long way in good touring. She was not interested in going by bike, so I suggested a yacht, showed her some nice one's we could handle, had her on board for a little while, but the upkeep of the yacht, she saidnwe might as well keep the house, it will cost us the same. I was saying we would be in a different port every week, loving life. We did tour for 12 months when I took leave without pay from my job, and she loved, didn't want to stop, but my job and contract, could not be broken(Armed Forces) . I am stuck just touring for weeks or months on my own. If you have your wife on side now, don't wait until your retired. Your partner, hell even you, may become set in your ways and prefer not to go anywhere then.

Last edited by ricrunner; 08-23-19 at 10:45 PM. Reason: Spelling mistake
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Old 08-23-19, 11:03 PM
  #36  
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Originally Posted by mev
One suggestion google "rv state residency" you will find accounts/advice of how a different group of nomadic individuals handle the similar residency issue...
Thank you for pointing this out. Maybe that is the word I need to get more comfortable with and utilize instead..."nomadic." Thanks for the identity. Haven't had a proper word to utilize, call myself, or know where I fit in. Guess I just found out who I am.
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Old 08-24-19, 12:00 AM
  #37  
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Originally Posted by Bike Jedi
....I can get a drivers license mailed to any friend, in any state, and claim residency instantly that way. ....
whatever gave you that crazy idea? good luck escaping the clutches of the california tax vampires!

there are certain actions that can/must be taken both to establish residency and to revoke. you'll need to research that. if you're staying inside the usa, things will be fairly easy for you. if your plan to is to travel extensively in foreign countries, things get.........complicated. states don't want to lose you as a tax-payer, nor do they want to provide some benefits if you're not.

i'm pretty sure you maintain residency in any state until death (longer in case of voting in places like chicago), until you take some actions to establish residency elsewhere. being homeless/nomadic in another location changes nothing by itself. you could be hiking around the world for 5 years, but you still have to pay usa taxes on worldwide income. you still have to file taxes in the state you have residency, unless you're in one of the 4 or 5 with no personal income tax. get behind on your taxes and us embassy will not renew your passport.

social security really isn't a problem as that's a national program. hundreds of thousands of expats collect social security. it's possible to apply for benefits outside the usa, and the government even does direct deposit to banks in some countries. normally though, you'd have deposits to your stateside bank, and withdraw as needed.
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Old 08-24-19, 07:21 AM
  #38  
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Thanks everyone, for all the input so far!

Seeing all the comments, I feel I should add some info.

We would definitely have a bail-out plan for whenever we decide we are done, or in case someone gets sick, etc. We have a solid community of family and friends that are understanding of our desires and have offered temporary, back-up housing for us all. Also it wouldn't be an issue to stop anytime and rent someplace. We also have a place to park an RV indefinitely, if we decide to go that route. Any way we do it, it would be well planned.

We have 3 kids, home-schooled with individual curriculum created by my wife and I. Our oldest just started University. We spent all day yesterday moving her onto campus and taking her shopping to set up her new dorm room. It was a bittersweet day.

The 2 younger kids spent their home-school day with the substitute teacher, my mom . There is for sure, no shortage of educational opportunities, nourishing, enriching, affection, and love.

The first few years of our oldest child's life was spent traveling and adventuring. We decided to try the "buy a house, put down roots" thing, and we see pros and cons both ways. I'm not sure which is better. We are still looking at options.
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Old 08-24-19, 09:49 AM
  #39  
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Originally Posted by riverdrifter
Thanks everyone, for all the input so far!

Seeing all the comments, I feel I should add some info.

We would definitely have a bail-out plan for whenever we decide we are done, or in case someone gets sick, etc. We have a solid community of family and friends that are understanding of our desires and have offered temporary, back-up housing for us all. Also it wouldn't be an issue to stop anytime and rent someplace. We also have a place to park an RV indefinitely, if we decide to go that route. Any way we do it, it would be well planned.

We have 3 kids, home-schooled with individual curriculum created by my wife and I. Our oldest just started University. We spent all day yesterday moving her onto campus and taking her shopping to set up her new dorm room. It was a bittersweet day.

The 2 younger kids spent their home-school day with the substitute teacher, my mom . There is for sure, no shortage of educational opportunities, nourishing, enriching, affection, and love.

The first few years of our oldest child's life was spent traveling and adventuring. We decided to try the "buy a house, put down roots" thing, and we see pros and cons both ways. I'm not sure which is better. We are still looking at options.
It sounds like you have a good plan and well thought out infrastructure. That's awesome.

I agree with and also feel the not knowing which is better sentiment.

In the end we make our decisions and go with them. I work in extended care and talk to people at the end of life's journey all the time. Oddly (in Canada at least with universal health care) having wealth or status or possessions doesn't seem to matter so much as we all tend to wind up in the same place and the same condition. What I see in people who are happy is a sense of having done a good job with their lives, having had a purpose, and not regretting their decisions. Part of that is achieving our own intrinsic goals and part is being connected to others. One main thing I see is people who have worked hard at making good connections with others (kids, family, friends) have those people come into visit and that is very telling. Others may have achieved success but if they are alone it doesn't really matter.

I can honestly say that I am currently experiencing and working through some downside feelings with some of my decisions in the past. In my youth and most of my adult life I have sought the route of seeking unique experiences and outdoor adventure rather than stability and have done a lot of different labour jobs without building savings or a career to yeild high returns. At 55 I still do a lot of outdoor pursuits (my passion) but many of the people I now roll with have far more disposable income than I do and I sometimes feel limited by that. Frankly, what I did not anticipate was living so darned long! These days my friends do a lot more international travel and easily buy expensive gear (some of my pursuits are gear intensive) that I have to wait and save for. At the same time I compensate by having a deeper base of experience and concentration/commitment that garners some respect as a skilled but locally based member of those tribes.

I don't regret my decisions but each pathway has its pros and cons that we have to work through and make peace with. Travel without building a foundation provides experiences but may put one behind peers down the road. Saving and forgoing travel may provide later means but circumstance may change the ability to use those means for travel. Either an illness like dementia or cancer may change the anticipated plan or, if you wire your mind for may years to need security it may become too hard to let go when the time comes.

The other downside I sometimes felt when more free but rootless was the shallowness of relationships that were often in the moment and transitory. I thought quite a bit about how the mantle of "traveler"can be addictive in the sense that one is always a guest in a foreign place and thus treated as someone special or unique. Back home we are just boring old us.

And sometimes the downside of a decision opens an opportunity for growth if we are flexible. In the last 10 years, while feeling the financial limitations for travel I would say I have never been as connected to community as I am now which is very rewarding in its own way. A lot of that has to do with the influence of my wife, who values personal connections and has been a moderating force in my life. What I do a lot now is share my experiences with others in ways to either entertain, encourage or draw out their achievements. A lot of old people have a lot of amazing stories and just need someone to be interested enough to listen to them.

Anyways, Blathering on instead of getting ready for a hike with my dog. It sounds like you have a good balance worked out and a sensible plan so I say follow your passion - you only live once.

Last edited by Happy Feet; 08-24-19 at 10:01 AM.
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Old 08-24-19, 01:44 PM
  #40  
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Originally Posted by gpsblake
Nancy rarely toured with the her family, she was always in Utah or doing media interviews in the United States or fundraising. People noticed she didn't have any tan marks at all from cycling.

Your asking this in a forum that is very likely to agree with you. Personally, ask this in some parenting or other forums and get more honest of answers.
Was that Nancy Vogel? If so I am disappointed to hear that.
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Old 08-24-19, 04:40 PM
  #41  
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It works in the movies



I'd love to have that bus

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Old 08-24-19, 06:02 PM
  #42  
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Originally Posted by staehpj1
Was that Nancy Vogel? If so I am disappointed to hear that.
I am curious to whom gpsblake is referring.

Nancy Sarthre Vogel is from Boise. I followed her blog (link above) for three years and also cycled some of the same routes ~5 years later.
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Old 08-25-19, 06:31 AM
  #43  
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Originally Posted by gpsblake
Nancy rarely toured with the her family, she was always in Utah or doing media interviews in the United States or fundraising. People noticed she didn't have any tan marks at all from cycling.
Interesting. I did not know that. I only "knew" her from her posts here.
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Old 08-25-19, 07:15 AM
  #44  
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Originally Posted by indyfabz
Interesting. I did not know that. I only "knew" her from her posts here.
Yeah me too. I read here and over on GCOAB. I'd be curious to hear more about how/where her lack of participation in the ride was documented. I'd be disappointed if she was another fraud like the morbidly obese guy supposedly riding across the us who was a big "news" story and is probably taboo to name here and on most forums.

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Old 08-25-19, 07:59 AM
  #45  
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Originally Posted by staehpj1
I'd be disappointed if she was another fraud like the morbidly obese guy supposedly riding across the us who was a big "news" story and is probably taboo to name here and on most forums.
In case you haven't been following him, he pulled another ride across the country scam this summer. Went down to FL with a HUGE load of junk in a trailer, never really went anywhere, relied on the assistance of suckers for money and other assistance and then had to call it quits due to alleged heart issues. He was down there for weeks and rode something like 30 miles, assuming you believe him. Most days were spent in motel rooms working on his broken trailer or whatever. There is a Facebook group called Fat Guy Not on a Bike that chronicled the entire thing.
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Old 08-25-19, 08:01 AM
  #46  
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Originally Posted by staehpj1
Yeah me too. I read here and over on GCOAB. I'd be curious to hear more about how/where her lack of participation in the ride was documented. I'd be disappointed if she was another fraud like the morbidly obese guy supposedly riding across the us who was a big "news" story and is probably taboo to name here and on most forums.
Until documentation is posted, I would be cautious in assuming gpsblake is referring to the same person as the CGOAB journal or familyonbikes.org web site.

gpsblake refers to Nancy which is the same name, but he also refers to Utah which doesn't make sense for Nancy Vogel.

Edit: Adding some additional context of what I know...

1. Tim Travis is another example of a long-term cycle tourist. Around 2002, Tim and wife Cindy set off from AZ on an open-ended bicycle trip. Over the next seven+ years they traveled by bicycle through multiple countries. They kept a newsletter and eventually also wrote several books. I know Tim from following his newsletters, reading books and eventually also visited him in Whitefish (where he is presently also hosting warmshowers there) and otherwise in contact via FB, etc.
2. Nancy Vogel I learned about through her postings, following her blog and even today she is part of the same FB posts that we also have with Tim. So while not directly, I've read a fair amount and interacted with her. I carefully followed her Pan-American blog as it unfolded and then also cycled some of those same routes. From what I know in that cycling, I find it difficult to believe she would have chronicled this account while "rarely touring with her family". What I do know, mostly from her blog was -
a. Nancy is passionate and an advocate of traveling with kids. Most of media accounts you find will include that thread. People can have strong opinions when it comes to raising kids, including some who strongly disagreed that raising kids in extended travels was a good thing. On her blog, Nancy sometimes shared links to such comments/articles and her reactions to them.
b. I haven't seen "fundraising" as a strong theme. Looking at familyonbikes.org, one sees little bits (a kindle book, asking for "sponsors" to post an ad on the web site), but what I know those things aren't particularly lucrative except for a very small select few. Instead, what Nancy wrote was more about using savings and have a rental property or two.

So from what I know, the original comment comes across as either mistaken identity or or a slur where I'd really like to see some additional documentation before taking it at face value in referring to Nancy who posted in this forum.

Last edited by mev; 08-25-19 at 09:32 AM.
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Old 08-25-19, 08:50 AM
  #47  
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Back on track... perhaps....

If life has taught me anything, it is that life changes. So, as a currently theoretical undertaking, I am intently reading comments and (should it become inevitable) looking to retire as a "Road" scholar.

Living mostly on the road, needs, keeping clean while self sufficient, stretching minimal savings + social sec., VA hospitals as fall backs.... These are my concerns. Any advice is like gold....

What I have read, so far, has me most interested in tarp tenting with bicycle. Watched a few good youtubes. Still don't have a firm grip on best tarp for the size/weight/money. Insect control.... Prefer holistics/natural remedies to pure tech (though mosquito netting seems a must). Just about convinced that baking soda and water can do most anything.

Interaction with the grid.... Networks of camping parks, private grounds and Warmshowers.... What are the best, portable, printed resources for this? Or should I trust in local libraries and their computer resources? In my current, frugalish life, Kroger's produce discount rack helps with "eat it soon" (often organic) food. What nutritious, light-weight, staple gets you to the next veggie meal? (I am vegetarian).

So, living as a nomad (on bike) is my bailout plan. What is necessary?
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Old 08-25-19, 07:32 PM
  #48  
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Originally Posted by riverdrifter
options to make adventure, experiences, and travel the priority in our lives. We have 2 small children...
Hopefully when you decided to have kids, you decided to make them the priority in your lives... Hopefully your desires won't skew your actions, or justify them falsely. Is it really important for a child to spend their life on the big travel adventure that their parents have always wanted to do? I'm not saying you're right or wrong. Just saying it's something to think about. Maybe they'll turn out to be the most amazing, cultured geniuses of our time. Or maybe they'll turn out weird, socially awkward, and unhappy because they never had a friend or even a chance to relate to anyone their own age.

Maybe just ask your kids and let them decide. And if they say yes, but one day decide they don't want to do that anymore, then stop. Once you have kids, they should come first in every life decision you make. Once you're a parent, you should no longer come first. If you decide to do this, it should be for them, not you. If it's not for them, you shouldn't do it.

If you're not looking for life, financial, or parenting advice, what are you asking about? That's all I've seen mentioned in your post. Bike or gear advice? You mentioned starting a discussion with others who have done this, but there are very few people who have. The very few who have aren't sitting around posting on bikeforums. In any case, if you didn't want advice on those things, no need to mention them... That's like starting a thread about your bike drive-train, mentioning that it has awful brakes, and then saying that you don't want advice on the brake problem. That's silly.

Last edited by 3speed; 08-25-19 at 07:46 PM.
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Old 08-25-19, 07:57 PM
  #49  
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To the OP: I reread your first post. You say you want your children to experience all life has to offer. Surely you realize that is impossible. They will have one set of experiences, but not others. For example, they may never go to a friend’s birthday party. Never play on a soccer team. Never be able to play in the backyard and build a fort. Maybe they will experience some of these things, but not in the same way a kid with a home in a neighborhood will. They will have a different life than most other kids, but not one that is somehow better or more fulfilling. As long as you realize a nomadic life is what you are choosing for your children, and not a “better” upbringing, you will be able to make the right decisions.
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Old 08-25-19, 11:09 PM
  #50  
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Originally Posted by 3speed
...Once you have kids, they should come first in every life decision you make. Once you're a parent, you should no longer come first. If you decide to do this, it should be for them, not you. If it's not for them, you shouldn't do it.
I don't agree with this. While it "feels" right it creates two very negative scenarios.

1. You teach your children that becoming parents will end their dreams. From a young age we tell our kids they can dream, work towards goals etc... but if they have kids those dreams take a back seat. Sort of teaches them to see having kids as bad and something to be avoided.

2. Tells kids they are more important than their parents which can lead to a sense of entitlement. I cannot ever remember thinking my goals were "more important" than my parents and for the most part just went along with whatever they said we were doing.

Kids are resilient (if we teach them to be able to adapt) and will probably do ok if the parents pay attention to their needs, even in a more unconventional lifestyle. Frankly I wish my father had pursued some of his stated dreams a bit more rather than working a lot and then sitting on the couch. He had a long list of things he was going to do once he retired and died before that happened. Sometimes watching parents work towards a challenge teaches the child by example.
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